


It Takes a Village

by torino10154



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Getting Together, Harry Potter Next Generation, Het, Humor, M/M, Matchmaking, Older Characters, Romance, Slash
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-01
Updated: 2018-01-01
Packaged: 2019-02-26 02:07:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,000
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13225926
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/torino10154/pseuds/torino10154
Summary: Long story short, I needed 500 words of fic to bring my yearly total to a nice round number. I decided to see if I had any unfinished works I could salvage and discovered this, 2/3 of which was done already. What good luck.





	It Takes a Village

**Author's Note:**

> Long story short, I needed 500 words of fic to bring my yearly total to a nice round number. I decided to see if I had any unfinished works I could salvage and discovered this, 2/3 of which was done already. What good luck.

"Not again."

Harry winced. "What?"

Lily tsked and shook her head. "You can't live on rabbit food, Dad."

Harry looked down at his plate of celery and carrots. "I'll eat a proper supper, Mum."

"Only if I keep feeding you," Lily said, laughing. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders and squeezed. "Some people like some meat on their bones."

"No one wants to see my love handles." Harry bit into a piece of celery with a loud crunch. 

"Speaking of," Lily hummed. "I hear Headmaster Snape is working on a project for the Ministry again."

Harry chewed slowly, wondering why his heart had skipped a beat. "I hadn't heard."

"Of course not." Lily put the kettle on and pulled two teacups from the cupboard. "Uncle Neville told me. He'll be in charge while Snape is away."

"Why would Neville tell you?" 

"I bumped into him yesterday at James's." Lily poured the boiling water into the teapot. "For some reason he asked me to pass along the information to you. Can you imagine why?"

"No," Harry didn't look up as he spooned sugar into his tea.

"Be that as it may...." Lily pulled a package of biscuits from her bag and opened them, the scent of chocolate and orange wafting to Harry's nose. They were his favourites, dammit. "He'll be there on Monday."

"Bloody brilliant." He snagged a biscuit and sighed. They were so much nicer than carrots.

~*~

Harry wasn't sure when he realised he was actually attracted to Severus Snape. It was after Harry's divorce certainly.

Well, probably. Towards the end of his marriage at any rate. 

Naturally, they'd had a cordial relationship for many years, culminating with Snape agreeing to be Albus's godfather, along with Neville and Hannah.

But now, there was something about him, Harry couldn't quite put his finger on. It might have been his longer hair, streaked with silver, secured with a leather tie.

Possibly it was the more healthy skin tone. He didn't look like he got much sun but he no longer appeared wan and sallow. 

Snape's voice had never quite recovered but the soft rasp only made his deep tenor more appealing, somehow. 

Harry had also noticed that Snape had gained a stone, maybe two, attaining a healthy weight. Though he'd never, ever mention it to Lily, Harry wouldn't mind letting _Severus_ see his love handles.

"Potter," a voice said, interrupting that thought, and Harry nearly tripped as he turned around. "One would think that, having raised children of your own, you might have managed to carry yourself with more composure. Alas."

Harry shook his head. "Fifty years older but still the same dunderhead I've always been."

Snape studied him for a moment longer than seemed strictly necessary. "Apparently."

They stared at each other for what seemed like an eternity when Harry noticed an unusual scent.

"Have you been eating oranges?" he blurted out without thinking.

"As a matter of fact, no." Snape sighed. "It may be my shampoo."

Harry blinked. "Your—"

"Good day, Potter," Snape said, turning on his heel, robes snapping behind him.

Harry laughed. Still the same after all these years.

~*~

"Hello, Minister. Snape," Harry said when he walked into his office, "Nothing should surprise me any more and yet, to what do I owe the pleasure?"

"We've brought the headmaster in to work on this." The minister lay a folder on Harry's desk.

Harry picked it up and flipped it open. "Potions, of course. And you didn't think to consult me first?"

The minister smirked, his expression reminding Harry of the prat he'd been in school. "I knew you wouldn't mind, Potter."

"Draco," Snape said and Malfoy nodded once.

"I'll just see myself out." 

Once Malfoy was gone, Harry grumbled, "Still a prat."

"If we could set aside our schoolboy antagonism," Snape said, brow raised.

"Of course. Have you seen the file?"

"No, not in full." He reached into the pocket of his robes and pulled out a pair of reading glasses. Harry watched, transfixed as he slipped them on, marvelling how they seemed to change the shape of his face, perhaps by drawing attention away from his nose....

"May I see it _now_?" Snape asked impatiently.

"Right, sorry. Don't know what came over me," Harry mumbled, handing him the folder. He got up and poured himself a glass of water, eyeing Snape surreptitiously. 

He went through the entire file methodically, turning pages deliberately, his brows furrowing on occasion. 

Harry noticed a wisp of hair that had fallen free and now hung across Snape's cheek. He had the strangest desire to tuck it behind Snape's ear....

"Have you heard a word I've said?" 

Harry blinked. "My apologies. You were saying?"

Snape scowled. "I was saying that I have no idea why Draco felt the need to bring me in. If the Auror Corps can't handle an open and shut case such as this, we are truly doomed."

Harry tried to quash the disappointment that he felt. He'd hoped that they'd be spending more time together. Maybe he'd finally get up the nerve to....

To what? He didn't seem to know.

"How are you and Draco getting on?" Snape said, setting the folder on the desk. 

Harry shrugged. "As well as can be expected. I certainly never imagined being related but, for whatever reason, Lily's over the moon for Scorpius so I'll have to suffer Malfoy's company when required."

"Magnanimous of you," Snape said with a snort. He stood then and gestured toward the file. "If you need assistance do let me know."

"Feel free to come by anytime," Harry said, holding out his hand.

Snape looked at it for a moment as if he suspected Harry's hand was a venomous snake but then he took it, his hand far warmer than Harry would have imagined. It was with regret that Harry let him go.

~*~

"How did it go today?" James asked, bouncing his son on his knee.

"How did what go?" Harry asked, scooping his namesake up and grinning when he giggled. 

"Didn't you see ol' Snapey?" 

Harry frowned. "How does everyone know the Ministry's business? Have we started putting announcements in the back of the _Prophet_?"

"Don't get your knickers in a twist, Dad." James took little Harry back when his son reached out his arms, crying, "Dada!" "We're just trying to help."

"Help?" Harry started to put two and two together. 

"If you're going to blame someone, you should blame...."

Harry didn't hear what James said because was already halfway to the Floo. He reached into the jar of Floo powder and threw a handful in. 

"Albus!"

He sat back on his heels waiting for his middle child—his Slytherin child—to answer. 

"Hey, Dad," Al said with a grin. "What's up?"

"How is Scotland this time of year?" Harry asked.

"As lovely as ever. Students aren't enjoying getting ready for their O.W.L.s but I haven't had to brew any anti-nausea potions, only some mild calming draughts."

"And the Headmaster. How is he?"

"Didn't you see him today?" Al said, puzzled. "He was supposed to come by your office."

"How would you know that, Al?" Harry said softly. 

"Don't tell me you let him get away." 

"What was I supposed to do?" Harry ran his hands through his hair, glad it didn't come out in clumps just yet. 

"Ask him to dinner," James said. Harry looked over his shoulder at his son, his grandson sleeping soundly in his arms.

"Ask him for a shag," Al said, his green eyes bright with mischief.

"Honestly." Harry stifled a snort.

"Look, Dad, do you know how much trouble we went to to get him over there?"

Harry shook his head. "He won't thank you for sending him on a wild goose chase. Malfoy's already in a spot of... wait, don't tell me he's in on this, too."

"We won't tell you then," James said, squeezing Harry's shoulder. "Do you really think _Snape_ would be willing to gallivant all over the country for just anyone? Think about that."

~*~

Harry did think about it for a long while that night as he stared up at his ceiling unable to sleep.

What harm could there be in asking Snape to dinner?

"I believed we had concluded our business the other day," Snape said when Harry Floo called him the following morning.

Trying not to be discouraged, Harry soldiered on. "Yes, well, this isn't business per se."

Snape raised an eyebrow and waited.

"Would you care to go to dinner? My treat." 

"To what purpose?" 

Snape was still the quintessential Slytherin, it seemed, always looking for an underlying motive.

"I could lie," Harry started and Snape scowled, but Harry held up a hand and kept talking, "but I won't waste our time like that. I'd like to get to know you better. On a more personal level."

"I see." Snape's expression was unreadable, which Harry supposed was better than when it was apparent he was irritated or repulsed. "Did Draco suggest this?"

"Draco? No," Harry said. "It was him, my children, Neville, and Merlin only knows who else. Apparently they've been trying to set us up."

To Harry's surprise, Snape looked amused. " _There are none so blind as those who will not see_."

"I think we both have a blind spot when it comes to the other," Harry said, shaking his head ruefully. 

"Perhaps we can begin to remedy that over supper," Snape said.

Harry took that as a yes. "Brilliant. How about Saturday night? Eight o'clock?"

"I'm looking forward to it," Snape said then closed the Floo connection.

"Wow—oh, hell." Harry winced as his knees reminded him why he didn't make many Floo calls these days.

~*~

Dinner went well, Harry thought. The awkward pauses were few and far between. Hearing Snape's thoughts about the latest innovations in potions, how students were the same as ever, and the board of governors worse than ever, even about what Al was like professionally were all fascinating topics.

Or maybe Harry just enjoyed the company.

Harry didn't want the evening to end but even though he was older and theoretically wiser, he still found Snape intimidating. What if Harry asked him to come home with him and Snape said no? He couldn't be away from Hogwarts for long, surely. Did men of their age shag on a first date or did they simply find themselves standing in front of the fire wearing tartan pyjamas and holding snifters of brandy like in all the films? Though he liked the idea of seeing Snape in a nice green tartan, he had something else in mind.

Fortunately, Snape saved him from his overactive imagination.

"Though I suspect your presence will be noted immediately when you set foot in the castle, I think you will find the headmaster's private chambers quite comfortable." Snape paused, looking almost nervous for a moment. "That is, if you choose to accompany me back to Hogwarts."

"I'd like that." Harry reached for Snape's hand and laced their fingers together.

~*~

Lily yawned widely as she made her way to the kitchen window, the sun barely peeking over the horizon.

"What is it, Helios?" she asked Al's gold barn owl.

She untied the note and handed the owl a treat.

_Success!_

"Brilliant!" she clapped her hands together. 

"What are you so happy about this early in the morning?" Scorpius said, coming up behind her and wrapping his arms around her waist.

"Dad's date went well according to Al."

"Mmm, how nice for them." He pressed his lips to the side of her neck. "Shall we celebrate the happy occasion?"

"You're insatiable," she complained even as she pressed back against him. "Come on then. Back to bed before James calls to gossip."

"Lily? Lily, are you there?" she heard from the sitting room.

"Too late," Scorpius said, sighing. "I'll put on the kettle."

She kissed him on the cheek and bounded into the other room to get all the juicy details from her brother.


End file.
